Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has explained his decision to dump manager Tim Sherwood.
The 45-year-old, who was appointed as Andre Villas-Boas' replacement in December, had initially signed an 18-month contract but was fending off speculation about his future almost straight away.
Levy announced they had decided to take the option to end Sherwood's contract a year early and will now begin to conduct a search for his successor.
"We appointed Tim mid-season as someone who knew both the players and the club. We agreed an 18-month contract with a break clause at the end of the season and we have now exercised that option," the statement read.
"Moving forward, now the season is over, we shall embark on the process of finding a new head coach.
"We have a talented squad and exciting young players coming through. We need to build on this season, develop our potential and inspire the kind of performances that we associate with our great club."
